Wood separator for secondary batteries.



Patented July 5,1910.

L. H. PLANDBRS. 00D SBPABATOB FOB SECONDARY BATTERIES.

APPLICATION FILE]? OUT. 21, 1908.

NVEIVTOR. 91 4 H qinzd Q R;E Y [N FAC Z T UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS H. FLANDERS. OF EDGEWOOD PARK. PENNSYLVAMIAv ASSIGNOR. BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS. TO THE ELECTRIC STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY. OF PHILADELPHIA.PENNSYLVANIA. A CORPORATION OF NEXV JERSEY.

\VOOD SEPARATOR FOR SECONDARY. BATTERIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1910.

Application filed October 21. 1908. Serial No. 458.839.

"7) of! whom it may concern:

lle it known that l. Loris ll. FLAXDERS. a

eitizt-n ot' the l'nited States. and a resident i ot lzd ewood Park, inthe eount of .\lle- J ghl-ny and State of lt-nnsvlvania. have made a newand useful invention in Wood Separators for Set-titular Batteries. ofwhieh the follow mg is a sperltiratton.

This invention relates to secondary bat-- tern-s and more particularlyfor se'parators i Various materials have been utilized for.

constructing separators and various shaped separators have been employedwith mor or less satisfaetm'y results. Thin perforated plates have beenutilized whiclrwere reinforced with stitl' ribs formed integrallytherewith or otl-erwise secured to them. The electrodes have beenincloed within sheaths made'ot' tLin rubber sheets provided withperforations and reint'oreed along their edges so as to maintaintheir'shape. but wood separators. to the best of my knowledge. havegive-n the b st results as far as the function of separating theelectrodes and preventing short (ll'tllit between them is t-on'rerned. Agreat many meehanieal (let'e -ts have. however. been eneountered withwooden separators. .\s ordinarily eonstrut-ted. they are flimsy amldillit-Idt to handle. They also eorrugate and distort when [lltltttl inthe veil. making inspeetion ditlieult.

'lhe speeilie 'ohjei-t of my invention has been to provide a woodseparator \vhieh overt-times all the diliit-nlties pt'eviousl ethlnllllll'l'ttl.

in the dr:. wings :n-t-otnpanyiug this applL ration and forming a partthereof, l have illustrated an emlmdimeat of my invention.

Figure l is a perspertire view of a separator embodying my invention:Fig. '2 is a side rlevat ion of the separat r shown in- Fig. I: and,Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2.

The separator eon ists of a shoot of wood veneer whit-h isl'tlllfttl't't'tl by ribs whit-h extend aeross the grain of the veenerand whit-h are seeured in plat-e by means of lead tat-ks.

I of the battery.

l l i i l one that is easy to handle and to ('tll|t in sheet of woodveneer 5 is cut to the eral edges with reinforeing ribs t3. 'lhese ribsextend above and below the sheet of veneer and are .-nlapted tnsuppot'tthe eparator when it is loeated within the evil -1 a seeondat') batteryand between the eleetrtries The lowef ends of the ribs are adapted to besupported by the bottom of the veil and to project between the edges ofthe eleetrodes to be separated. The thielcness of these ribs is a littleless than the \lesired separatit An intermediate rib '4' extendsparallel to the rib t; and is loeated midway between theta. Lighter ribs8 are located on eaeh side of the rib T and extend parallel to it. Allof the ribs are set-tired to the wood veneer sheet by means of leadtat-ks t) which are suitably spau d and of sutlieient length to hold theribs seeurely in plaee. The veneer sheet is of snt-h length that itextends above and below the top and 1., bottom edges respet-tirel of theeha-trode which is loeated adjaeent to it and it is of such width thatthe heavy ribs (3 exteno be- \'ond the edges of the plate in loseproxtnity to the sides t' the eoutaiuer jar. This constrnetion insuresthat the edges of the tlt't'tt'tnlt's are rigidly held in position b theheavy ribs ti and are prevented from enrlingor tw sting eyond theedgesof the separator and it also villa-lively prevents bridging ofaelive material :n'r s adjaeent elm-trodes at their edges. 'lhet'a tthat the ribs extend aeross the grain ol' the veneer sheet insures arelative rigid s parator and plat-e within the veil. Further: tore. theribs. being met-hanit-ally fastened U) the. v neer sheet. are positivelyheld in plaee and the life of the separator is as long as the life ofthe elet'tt'ode whirl: it separates.

The upper ends ol the ribs (3 are pointed. as show'n at ll) in thedrawings. so as to prevent. a deposition of at-tire material at thatpoint amt a subsequent lnidging between adjaeent plates.

The wood veneer and the ribs are treated so as to remove any organicsubstanees that might injure the elertrodes and eonsequently it isnecessar to keep the separators wet prior to installing them in order to105 prevent shrinkage and subsetptent t-rat-lt'ing.

The separator may be made of any porous substance of suitable characterand the stittening ribs ma be located on each side of the \eneer sheet.'ith such a eonstrnetion the ttle'h's' or nails will extend through oneset of ribs and the veneer and into the ribs on the other side of theveneer. \Vben the separators are located in place. within the cell, theopposed ends or heads of the tacks i are located adjacent to thenegative plates. This prevents corrosion of the tacks.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes. I havedescribed the principle of operation of my inventioln together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best enihtaliinentthereof. hat l desire to have it nndersood that the apparatus shown isonly illustrative and that the-invention can be carried out by othermeans.

'hat I claim is:

I. A separator t'orsm-ondanvbattery plates comprising a sheet of woodveneer, wood 's'ilfl llllllg ribs, the grain of \rhieh extends i l t l 5the grain of the sheet. said ribs projecting beyond the edges of saidsheet. and lead tacks for securing, said ribs to said sheet.

3. A separator for secondary batter plates eoniprisin; a sheet of woodveneer. wood stitl'ening ribs. the grain of which eX- tends across thegrain of said sheet. and fastenin; devices for securing said ribs to thesheet. said fastening devices consisting entirely of mat rial which willresist the action of the eleetrol \'te.

' 1n testinioirv whereof. I have hereunto subscribed my name this 20thday of ()etoher, 1908.

' LOUIS II. FLAXDERS. \Vitnesses:

C. \l". MeGnrn-I. E. Y. McCALusTEn.

